Suction cleaner



July 23, 1935. u. A. wHlTAKl-:R

SUCTION lCLEANER Filed Aug. 14, 1935 Umm- A Wh feier .5mm/s ATTO RN EY Patentedl July 23, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUCTION CLEANER Uncas A. Whitaker, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio l Application August 14, 1933, Serial No. 685,035

l 11 Claims. (C1. 15-6) The present invention relates to suction clean- Fan 2 creates a reduced pressure within the sucers in general and particularly to a new and novel tion nozzle 4 which is interiorly connected to the agitator construction for a, suction cleaner. fan chamber 3 through the eye 5. The nozzle 4 is More specifically, the invention comprises the provided with front and rear surface-contacting 5 provision, in a rotary agitator for a suction cleanlips 6 and 1, and in the operation of the cleaner 5 er, of a surface-agitating element which is floatthe reduced pressure existing within the nozzle ingly mounted relative to the rotating agitator 4 results in the lifting of the surface covering body which carries it. undergoing cleaning from the supporting sur- It is an object of the present invention to proface into contact l with those lips. The motor vide a new and improved rotary agitator for a shaft 8 continues below the fan chamber 3 and 10 suction cleaner. Another object is the provision, into the air passageway connecting the nozzle in a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner, of iioatl to the eye 5 and is formed as a driving pulley in ing surface-contacting agitating elements. Still order that it may co-operate with the poweranother object is the provision, in a rotary transmitting belt 9 which extends forwardly into agitator fora suction cleaner, of counter-balanced the nozzle 4 where it drives the rotary agitator 15 floating agitating elements. Astill further object I D. The cleaner is movably mounted on front is the provision, in a rotary agitator for a suction and rear supporting Wheels I I, II, and a pivoted cleaner, of a freely floating brush element which handle I2 is provided through which the operator is counter-balanced. A still further object is the may exert a propelling force in theA operation of provision, inarotary agitator forasuction cleanthe cleaner. No invention is claimed to reside 20 er, of a freely floating rigid positive beating elein the general arrangement of the cleaner but ment which is counter-balanced. These and what is claimed as applicants invention is the other-more specific objects will appear upon readspecific construction of the rotary agitator I0 ing the OUOWIlg Speccation. and Claims and which will hereinafter be more fully described.

upon considering in connection therewith the at- Agitator I0 is seen to comprise a cylindrical 25 tachedv drawing to which they relate. body I3 which is rotatably mounted upon a III the drawing in Which preferred embodiments through supporting shaft I4 by means of bearof the present invention are disclosed: ings I5, I5. Shaft I4 extends beyond the ends of Figure 1 is a front view of a modern suction the body I3 and is removably supported in any cleaner with the agitator constructed in accordsuitable manner by the end walls of the nozzle 4. 30 ance with the present invention embodied there- Substantially midway of its length the body I3 is in. a section being shown transversely across provided with a pulley surface I6 on which .seats the Cleaner 1102218; the power-transmitting belt 9 from the drive Figure 2 is a partial cross section through the shaft 8. In the operation of the machine the machine taken at right 2.118185 t0 the ShOWing 0f agitator rotates about an axis through the sup- 35 Figure 1 and upon the line 2-2 of that flgure; porting shaft I4 being driven by the belt 9 from Figure 3 is a section thru the agitator upon the motor shaft. the line 3--3 Of Figure 1; In the ordinary rotary agitator the surface- Figure 4 is a view in perspective of a floating agitating means comprise brushes, and in the 40 brush element and its seat removed from the more advanced type of agitators rigid surface- 40 agitator body; contacting 'beater elements are combined with Figure 5 is a section similar to Figure 3 but the brush elements to obtain maximum cleaning showing only floating positive beating elements effectiveness. Heretofore, however, the elements in the agitator; have been xedly seated upon the agitator body Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing a although provisions may have been made to pro- 45 freely floating beater element positioned within vide for their removal and replacement upon deits seat which has been removed from the agitator terioration in the case of the brush elements. In body; the agitator constructed in accordance with the Figure 7 is a cross section thru an agitator havpresent invention, however, the brushes and the'VY ing both brush and beater elements, there being rigid beater elements are floatingly mounted 50 resilient means to bias the elements. relative to the b'ody of the agitator and are adapt- Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 in particular ed to give radially vupon contacting the surfacea modern suction cleaner 'is disclosed in which covering undergoing cleaning. an unshown motor within the casing I drives a .Referring again to the drawing the surfacesuction-creating fan 2 within the fan chamber 3. contacting element seat is seen to comprise a. 55

member 20 which extends within the normal confines of the agitator body I3. Adjacent each end of each seat 20 an arm 2| is pivotally mounted on the seat, as indicated at 22. Each arm 2| is L-shaped and one end thereof extends to a position exactly at the end of the brush seat while the opposite end thereof extends to a point spaced from the seat. The arms 2|, 2| are adapted to support a brush element 23 or a. beater element 24 in the seat, the seat ends of the arms 2| 2| being formed With rectangular openings 25, 25 which are adapted to seat and enclose similar rectangular projections 26, 26 upon the ends of the brush or beater elements. As is clearly seen in Figures 4 and 6 one end of the element seat is open and as the arm 2| is of relatively flexible material the brush or beater element may be moved longitudinally in the seat 20 deflecting the arm 2| and permitting the opposite end of the element to be disengaged from its seat 25 thereby permitting the removal of the element from the seat. The insertion of the brush or beater element is exactly the reverse operation.

Upon the opposite side of a radial'plane thru the pivot points of the arms 2l, 2| from the surface-contacting element carried thereby is a mass or counter-balance 21 whose function it is, in the operation of the agitator, to counter-balance the centrifugal force of the brush or beater element. In order to provide a freely floating element the mass of weight 21 is such that its moment about the pivotal axis of arms 2|, 2| in the operation of the agitator is equal to the moment of the brush or beater element 23 or 24 about thc same axis. Were the weight 21 not provided for each element the centrifugal force of that element would be such, at high speed rotation, that the construction would be substantially the equivalent of a rigid mounting.

Referring now to Figure 7 a slightly modified construction is shown in which leaf springs 3B, 30 are provided within the agitator body I3, being mounted thereon and extended into contact with the counter-balancing weights 21, 21 for the purpose of eliminating play and undue pivoting of the surface-contacting elements. The spring 30 can be made to exert such force that the surfacecontacting element is normally held at any desired position relative'to the surface of the agitator body, or may be so positioned that it is only effective upon the surface-contacting element being contacted by` the surface coveringand deflectedinwardly.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a rotary, agitator in- I cluding a surface-contacting agitating element,

means pivotally mounting said element about an axis circumferentially displaced from itself and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation, and means opposing the pivotal movement of said element about its axisunder centrifugal force comprising a c'ounterbalance connected to said element and pivoted upon the opposite side of said axis.

2. In a suction cleaner, a rotary agitator including a surface-contacting agitating element comprising a rigid back carrying flexible bristles mounted for movement yin the direction-of and away `from the axis of rotation and a counterbalancesubjected to centrifugal'force and connected to said brushto oppose the centrifugal force thereof. f

3. In a suction cleaner, a rotary agitator including a rigid surface-contacting agitating element movable between minimum and maximum radial extensions and a movable counterbalance subjected to centrifugal force and connected to said element to oppose the centrifugal force thereof.

4. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner, a cylindrical body, means supporting said body for rotation about its longitudinal axis, a surface-contacting element extending from within said body and projecting to a point beyond the surface thereof, means mounting said element for free inward and outward movement, and a counterbalance movable relative to said body opposing outward movement of said element under the action of centrifugal force in the rotation of said body. without opposing inward radial movement.

5. In a suction cleaner, a rotary agitator including a cylindrical body, means supporting said body for rotation about its longitudinal axis, surface-contacting brush and rigid beater elements extending from within said body and projecting to positions beyond the surface thereof, means mountingsaid brush and beaterv elements for free inward andl outward movement, and counterbalances opposing outward movement of said brush and beater elements under the action of centrifugal force in the rotation of 4said body without opposing inward radial movement.

6. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner, a surface-contacting element, means pivotally mounting said element about an axis circumfercntially spaced from itself, and a mass pivotally mounted uponv theopposite side ofthe pivotal axis and connected to said element, the moments of the element and the mass about the said pivot point being substantially equal in the rotation of the agitator in order to obtain a freely floating relationship.

'1. In the construction defined by claim 6 a spring to oppose the radial thrust of said beater element upon said element contacting the surface covering undergoing cleaning.

8. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner, a surface-contacting agitating element mounted for inward and outward displacement, and means counteracting the effect of the centrifugal force of said element at any speed of rotation of the agitator to maintain the force required to displace said element substantially-constant, said means comprising a counterbalance subjected to centrifugal force in the rotation of said agitator and connected to said element to oppose its-outward movement under the action of centrifugal force.

9. `The construction recited in claim 8 characterized in that means are provided to dampen the movements of said element. f

`l0. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner, a surface-contacting agitating element movable between positions of minimum and maximum radial extensions, resilient means arranged to oppcseuthe movement of said element to its position of minimum radial extension, and means counteracting the eiTect of the centrifugal force of said element `at any speed of rotation of the agitator to maintain the force required to'displace said element substantially constant.

11. The construction recited by claim 10 characterized in that said' neutralizing means comprises a counterbalance subjected to centrifugal force'in the rotation of said `agitator and connected to said element. l

` 1 UNCAS AJWHITAKER. 

